Love and Lies
by AngstyAly
Summary: Booth is kidnapped and pushed to his limit, but now with Bones captured as well, the squints will struggle to find a way to save them. The FBI meddles in the Jeffersonian and Booth begins to break, because Bones can't last much longer. R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

First Bones fic so be nice

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"_Wake up Seeley..."_

_The slow drawl punctured the silent darkness, it shattered the comforting closeness of the dark, leaving a very disoriented Seeley Booth in the awkward position of being tied to a chair._

"Glad to see you've come to the land of the living."

There was a dark man in front of him, surrounded by a halo of light. Pain burst in Booth's head, but the agent only winced, causing the mysterious man to chuckle. It was a high pitched giggle, it gnawed on the ears and eyes. "You know after so much time spent watching you, I feel as if we're friends already."

The light was actually a set of white neon lights that buzzed in the otherwise silent room. It blinded Booth, unable to see, he could only guess what the man looked like. Medium height, definitely male, short hair, fairly well built, not athletic. His brain cataloged this information automatically while he tested his bonds.

Tight, sharp, steel cable, maybe construction rope or manufactured wire.

"Don't get up." the man said with laughter purring on the edge of his voice, Booth wrenched at his bound hands, willing them to break free, as the shadow man watched him in amusement.

"You're going to have to stop or you're going to hurt yourself, and why deny me the pleasure?"

Booth bucked in his chair, trying desperately to free himself and find respite from those burning white lights.

A shadow loomed over him and there was a sharp pain in Booths left arm, There was a snap and some cursing, but the edge of his vision faded, and he was sucked down into a world of nightmares.

_"Wake up when you're ready to cooperate." The whisper was soft, it was as if the spoken words were part of his dreams._

_

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_

"Hey!" Angela caught Brennan's arm as she made her way around the table. "Have you seen Booth?"

Bones frowned, her green eyes growing distant as she tried to remember when she had last seen her partner. "No, not for a day or so, but he called in sick yesterday morning."

"Well, Rebecca can't find him, and he's not answering his cell phone."

Brennan shrugged, "I don't know, maybe the Bureau needed him. Look Ange, I'll go to his apartment later, let me just finish with this report."

Angela nodded, and moved off, but the little crease of worry on her forehead never went away.

Brennan sighed, "He's perfectly capable of looking after himself for a day or two."

Angela laughed, "Well, sometimes I doubt that."

There was a clattering and both women looked around. Hodgins was crouched over a pile of dropped charts, cursing. Angela went to help him and Brennan delicately pushed a rib into place. The truth was Brennan was slightly upset that Booth hadn't called her. They had always corresponded regularly. Bones wasn't one to get upset over a missed call, but something was digging at her. An itch, something felt off, but she was hardly going to burst into his apartment just because he took a sick day.

She shook off the uneasy feeling, turning her mind to more practical matters, after all, having worked for so long together she had grown used to Booth's presence at her side. It wasn't anything more.

She kept telling herself that.

"Wakey-wakey Special Agent Seeley! Oh! That's got a nice ring to it."

Booth squinted into the lights that were still on, and the man was still obscured by them. It was a damn clever way to cover one's face and form. The whole wall was covered by the headache inducing brightness.

"So lets talk." The voice had turned from playful to brisk in a matter of seconds. "You want to live I presume? Well, You have something that my employers want, information to be exact and I want the money that my employers can give me. So tell me the information I'll give it to my employers, I get my money and you can be released. We all win."

Booth said nothing.

"So... What are the access codes to the Jeffersonian?"

Silence.

"Perhaps you didn't understand. I said," He raised his voice, talking slowly as if Booth were simple, "What are th-"

Booth spit at the shadowy figure, he heard it splatter and smiled inwardly. _Bullseye._

"Ugh, how unhygienic. Well, that was by far the more simple question, so I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way. You know I was rather hoping for this."

Something hit Booth's hand, hard. The harsh snapping of breaking bones vibrated in the air. The barest hiss escaped Booth's mouth, the only sign of pain.

Let's see, that's... three broken fingers. That's unlucky, I usually get four, but I'm using a new hammer. Let's try the other hand shall we?"

Again the sickening sound of metal meeting flesh and then the snaps and pops of finger's being pushed out of place.

A half scream half groan threatened to break out of Booth's throat but all that escaped was a guttural laugh. Pressure was building in his head, stinging reflex tears blurred his eyes, but he refused to let anything get away from him.

"You like punishment don't you. Well, I have so much energy and an unfortunately short deadline."

Sweat was working its way down Booth's temples, the pain didn't go away if anything it was building.

"You know what? I think we'll start with an easier question, I think you need some warming up."

Booth said nothing.

"You're partner, Brennan right?" Booth stiffened, his teeth snapping shut. "Oh, you don't like me mentioning your little girlfriend? Well, we'll start off simple. What's her first name?"

There was a grip on the middle finger of his left hand, a broken finger. "First name is all I need."

Slowly the man was bending his finger backwards, against the break, forcing the bone to grind against itself.

"Temperance." It was a half groan half scream, more a curse or a prayer than an answer. The grip on his finger slackened.

"Nice to hear your voice at last Seeley, of course I already knew that one but it's just a warm up. On to number two. Where does Temperance work?"

Again the agony, the nauseating pain. But not a syllable passed his lips.

"I'll give you a clue. It starts with a 'J'."

Now it was his pinky, how could such a small digit cause so much pain?

"Jeffersonian." Booth groaned.

"Good! We're making nice progress! Now, what are the access codes for the Jeffersonian where dear Temperance works?"

* * *

"Booth?"

There was no answer from the apartment.

"Booth, It's Angela and Hodgins. We brought some food over."

Hodgins swung around to face Angela, "Well, he's not here, Can I go home now?"

Angela stared at the unyielding door. "Break it down."

"What?"

"Break the door down." She looked at him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"You want me to break down Booth's front door?"

"It's easy, I mean you're not weak."

"Whether it's easy or not isn't the question. Isn't it rather... I don't know... rude?"

"Why are you so scared of Booth?"

"Scared? Me?"

"You were fidgeting all the way here, and you can't wait to get out of the building."

"I wasn't-It just- look, can we just focus on why you want me to break down his door?"

"He's not answering it."

Hodgins stared at her disbelievingly. "You break down every door that gets in your way?"

"Wouldn't life be less interesting if I didn't?"

Hodgins just stared at her, too shocked for words.

"Just do it... Jack."

And he couldn't resist when she put it like that, he stepped away from the door and braced himself. "What if he shoots me?" He asked, trying to find a excuse for not breaking into an FBI agent's room.

"He's not going to shoot you."

Hodgins nodded and ran at the door, turning sideways as he hit the wood, It gave with a loud bang. He stumbled over the carpet and skid onto his stomach, nearly colliding with a bookcase.

He stood rubbing his shoulder as he got up. "Damn, that hurt!" He looked up at Angela accusingly, "What, now that I've broken in you're just going to stand out there?"

She didn't answer but was staring inside the room with wide-eyed shock. Hodgin's followed her gaze. "What's wro-"

He stopped in mid sentence. The apartment was in shambles. Chairs and desks were overturned, glass littered the carpet. Pictures hung at odd angles, curtains had been ripped.

The room smelled of gunpowder and blood.

Angela dropped the bowl of chicken soup.

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**_SO? What do you think?Worth continuing? Reviews are welcome and much apreciated..._**

**_In other words..._**

**_OH DEAR GOD LEAVE ME A REVIEW AND I'LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND FOREVER!!!!!!!!!_**


	2. Chapter 2

z

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll

Well, this got some nice reviews! I love you all! Hope you like the update. And remember to tell me what you think.

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Brennan pushed the door open, looking for all the world like an FBI agent. She hadn't really lied to the three police officers that had asked her why she was inside the police tape. She had told them the truth, that she was Seeley Booth's partner. It was up to them to make the assumption that she was part of the Federal Bureau.

She had been working in the Jeffersonian when she had gotten Angela's garbled call. After several minutes of Angela's hysterical crying Brennan had just asked where to go. She hadn't really been worried until she had gotten to Booth's apartment.

Angela crying was not unusual. It was the two police cars and the ambulance that sat resting in the parking lot outside the building that had shifted her usual state of calm reason.

Brennan wasn't used to being the last to know things. If she didn't have all the facts in a situation then she was helpless. It was what made her so awkward in a conversation.

Trying to ignore the uneasiness and fear that was edging into her consciousness she nodded to the officer by the door and entered the apartment.

She was immediately engulfed by Angela's embrace. Hodgins stood to the side, seemingly still in shock.

"I came as soon as I could, where's Booth?"

Angela only sobbed harder, and it was Hodgins who finally spoke. "We don't know yet."

Brennan frowned, not understanding. She half pushed half dragged Angela to a chair and looked around. "What happened?"

"The lock wasn't forced, but the whole damn apartment is wrecked and covered in blood."

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" Asked Brennan, her voice tense.

"They only gave us one phone call, we've been answering questions all night."

Brennan looked around again at the shattered glass, broken furniture and splattered blood. She swallowed to moisten her dried throat and asked the one question she didn't really want answered. "Where's the body?" It came out strange, hoarse, dry. Dead.

Hodgins came toward her quickly, "No, no, there's no body. Whoever did this took him away. They think he's still alive."

Brennan let out a gush of air that had nearly choked her. There was still a lump in her throat and the tension seemed only to have intensified.

Brennan gazed at the not for a long time, her mind slowing to a crawl, she couldn't take in the information, she wouldn't.

Hodgins sat next to Angela, his shoulders slumped.

"The blood hasn't been tested, but I've got a feeling it's all Booth's."

Brennan looked around, there was quite a lot of blood. Suddenly something snapped. "We don't operate on feelings. Where have the samples been taken? And I want pictures of the scene now."

Angela looked up, sniffing. "Brennan, we don't have this one, the FBI have assigned a crime scene forensic team, and they've already taken the samples and pictures."

Brennan stood for a long time, her thoughts frozen. There was no body. She could do nothing without remains. "Why aren't they here?"

"They just took pictures of everything, and then just took some blood off the carpet. But they operate differently remember?"

"That's not good enough, I want blood samples from every square inch of this place, Booth didn't go without a fight, I want hair and saliva identified. And I want the results back in the morning."

Angela and Hodgins were both looking at her with unconcealed amazement.

"What, it's logical for someone with more experience with Booth to take over his case."

"Sweetie, I know you're upset, but the FBI won't like the interference."

"We can say it's an exercise for the interns. Or a an equipment comparison with the FBI's forensic division."

Hodgin's looked up, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "You mean like a contest between us and the FBI?"

"Well not in those terms but-"

"They won't be able to say no. You know how much they hate us for interfering with your father's case? And they're furious that you've refused a post with them at their headquarters."

"Booth didn't say anything..."

"They'll put their frustration with you into the case and sooner or later one of us'll find Both." Hodgins smiled grimly. "We win either way."

* * *

Booth refused to open his mouth again, he would not give in. he had bitten his tongue, and the salty iron taste of blood didn't go away. He couldn't feel anything below his elbows. It was uncomfortable but not really painful. He seemed to be drifting in fog. A sharp nasal voice cut through the cloud every so often with it's violent tone and harsh questions, jolting him back to consciousness.

Booth struggled to open his eyes, they were too tired, the eyelids forcing their way closed. The bright light hurt so much stung the tender pupils. He couldn't go on much longer. The ache in his abused fingers was starting to come back, he couldn't bring himself to look at his hands anymore. They were all wrong, they were no longer his fingers, they were foreign, alien.

"You've trained your body well, Seeley, I shouldn't be so surprised, but well... I am."

Booth's head slid onto his chest, he had no strength left.

"I'd chop off you're fingers but that'd just leave me with less skin to work with."

_Just you wait, you bastard, I'll squash your head into pulp when I get out of here. _

"Hmmm... You're not playing fair. Everyone has their breaking point, but you're quite interesting... Physically your defenses are impenetrable but mentally? Well, I'll just have to experiment. That's what scientists do, don't they? They find limits, and you Seeley? What are your limits?"

the pain was starting to come back full force. Every fingertip seemed to be on fire. The sting had increased until it felt as though his hand was caught in a steel door. Booth began to pant, he felt faint, the world seemed to be spinning. And then it was falling, everything was black and white, there was a dull rushing sound in his ears.

"Splint his fingers and get me his girlfriend, she'll have the access codes. Tell our benefactors to expect progress by Wednesday."

_Bones?_

_

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_

The lab was silent. It was three AM in the morning, but everyone was there. Some sat on desks, some lay on couches staring blankly at the smooth, endless white ceiling. The computers were all turned off and coffee mugs lay in piles over every surface.

Dr. Sweets sat in Bones' office, one leg crossed over the other to provide a surface to write on. He was filling out form after form, his eyes flicking to the lab outside, watching everyone, a small yet sad smile hovering on his lips.

Brennan herself was pacing the platform, every now and again writing something down on a pad that sat next to her on the desk.

It was all still, nobody daring to breathe lest it disturb Dr. Brennan's concentration.

At last the glass doors were pushed open and the portly figure of Caroline Julian shoved into the lab. She looked long and hard at the crew that had assembled and spoke directly to Brennan.

"It took some debate and a lot of favors but you have the governments leave to handle the case."

There were smiles and a few shouts of triumph that were quickly silenced by the attorney's raised hand. "However, it's been decided that a group of FBI forensic investigators will oversee the case, reporting to their own lab as to the progress of your investigation. Normal duties will not be ignored and inclusion in the kidnapping of Seeley Booth will not be mandatory. The FBI's best team is already assembled and working on the kidnapping, we are treating the situation as a faculty training exercise."

There were a few groans but otherwise not much dissent. It was Jack who voiced what everyone was thinking. "We're being observed?"

"Only a temporary arrangement, they'll be arriving tomorrow afternoon. Can you handle that Mr. Hodgins?"

Jack nodded, but his mouth was set in a disapproving line.

Brennan turned to her coworkers and friends. "I want all the blood samples analyzed by tomorrow. Hodgins, I want you in the apartment looking for anything unusual. Angela I want you to recreate the crime scene."

The squints scurried to their places, turning on monitors and whispering excitedly to each other. Caroline crossed to where Brennan was coming down the stairs.

"I know Dr. Brennan, that we don't often see eye to eye, but I hope you're doing everything you can to find your partner. Seeley's a good man, and I'm glad that he's got so many friends. But I've done all I can, and everything else is up to you."

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Short chapter, but I'm just getting warmed up... Review?


	3. Chapter 3

Damn, how can you people ever forgive me for leaving this story? I still love you all, and I promise to update really really soon.

BTW: Hospitals suck, but the candy is actually pretty good if you're zonked out of pain meds.

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Brennan was fidgeting in Sweets' office. She really hated this room. Sweets spun his pen through his fingers, staring at his patient. If he could just crack that shell of logic just a little he could retire a happy man.

Brennan was the first to break the silence. "Why do we have to do this? Booth isn't here."

"Technically, it's still partner counseling when your partner isn't here."

Brennan stared at him. "That doesn't make any sense."

Sweets studied his pen, ignoring her comment. "Do you sometimes envy Booth?"

"Why would I envy Booth?"

"He grew up with his family, popular at a young age, good with people..."

"Well, yes, his upbringing was certainly more fulfilling. And I admit that Booth has talents that I don't, but we're two very different individuals."

"But-"

There was a cry from the lab "Dr. Brennan!"

Bones stood up and left, not bothering to listen to Sweets' agitated squeaks of indignation. She missed Booth more than she would ever admit. If her partner were here they would simply talk about nothing until Sweets stopped asking questions, it hurt to even look at Sweets now, he called up emotions that she just didn't have time for, that Booth didn't have time for.

Hodgins was standing outside. He looked like a child that had just found that Christmas was a month early. "I tested most of the blood in Booth's apartment and there was a pool that didn't match Booth's, he broke someones nose and I found an abnormality in the blood, take a look." He had led her over to his station. Microscopes, vials and cultures were all standing neatly and cleanly on his workspace. Expensive material used to look at dust and dirt.

He turned his monitor so Brennan could see the screen clearly. She squinted at the data re-reading it twice over "Kaposi's sarcoma? The sexually transmitted disease?"

Hodgins smiled, "Usually found in Sub-Saharan countries and the Mediterranean. And get this, the suspect liked to indulge in a little bit of 'Mary-Jane'."

Brennan was silent for a few moments. "Who's that?"

"Mary-Jane? Also known as Blaze? Grass? Nuggets? Stinkweed? Buds? Ganja? Skunk? Boom? Reefer? Herb?"

"I don't understand."

"Marijuana?...Please tell me you've heard of that one."

"That narrows down the suspect list significantly." Brennan turned her gaze behind Hodgins to where a balding man had just appeared with a clipboard clutched to his chest.

"King of the lab!" Hodgins pumped a triumphant hand into the air and whooped. Immediately the balding man slipped his tiny round spectacles further up his nose, snapped a pen, and began writing on the clipboard.

"Can I help you?" Brennan asked sharply, crossing her arms over her chest and swinging her hair away from her face. Hodgins turned and stumbled backward into a table of microscopes and slides., startled to find someone so close to him.

"Dr. Collins, FBI, CSI. I'm here on the request of your department." The spectacles slid down his nose as he looked at the anthropologist, completely ignoring Hodgins who was trying to right the microscopes and trying to see if any slides had fallen. "You must be Dr. Brennan, I'm a great admirer of your work."

"Thank you." They stared at each other until Hodgins cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'll just.. I'll go find Angela." He edged behind Dr. Collins and disappeared into the audio and visual department of the Jeffersonian.

"I have been given full disclosure on Agent Booth's case. Dr. Saroyan has been kind enough to lend me security clearance to the platform and all information pertaining to the case. I am merely here to observe and report on the methods used in the investigation, but I must be allowed access to all the data that your team has assembled." He smiled and pushed his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose again.

"I don't have the time to show you around the lab. One of the interns can give you an orientation if it's necessary." She turned abruptly and left him standing by the blank monitor, his glasses slowly sliding down his face, and his pen moving quickly across his silver clipboard.

* * *

Booth groaned, his head was too heavy for his neck and his hands were cold, painful and immobile. The splints were well tied and whoever had straightened the bones had obviously had surgical training.

"I've sent someone after your partner, and she'll be here by this evening, one big happy family right?" The Shadow lightly slapped Booth's cheeks. "Come on Seeley, I need a smile here. No? Okay, I can see that you want to get back to business, so impatient, that's what got you so far up the FBI proverbial ladder isn't it?"

Pain wound it's way in serpentine curls up Booth's arms and seemed to clench at his heart. His throat constricted and he coughed, his lungs seemed to be on fire.

"Whoa there buddy, you don't sound too good, let me help you there."

Soft, leather coated hands pulled him gently forward so he could breathe a little easier. Both gasped. He wouldn't give this bastard the brand of toilet paper used in the Jeffersonian.

He panted, he was used to pain, he had been tortured before, but that enemy was far from home. He had been safe in his home, hadn't expected the thugs to be outside his door when he answered. He hadn't even seen the first blow that had lifted him off his feet and slammed him into _his _walls and _ his _photographs of _ his_ loved ones.

He had put up one hell of a fight. How long would it take the squints to realize something was wrong. And Parker... he was going to take Parker to the zoo this weekend...

"You finished? Good. Now, as you probably know by now, I want and need access to the Jeffersonian institute and It would be just... wonderful. If you could tell me where I might go if I was say... looking for a certain misplaced skeleton, where would I find the basement vault? And I am also looking for the location and enough clearance to operate a fascination piece of machinery dubbed the 'Angelator'."

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So... yeah... thanks for reading this far and I promise to update more often, I had completely forgotten how much I enjoyed writing this story.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Its been what? A year since I've updated? well, I'm sorry, you should have all the village children come out and light me on fire and beat me with sticks. In fact I just broke my legs (both) in a tragic but foreseeable accident (I fell down a lot of stairs,)so I'm confined in a wheelchair... My pain is your gain. :p**_

_**This is how I'm spending my vacation, it's sad... :(**_

_**Back to booth and brennan torture.**_

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Brennan sat back, her eyes aching from staring at the unhelpful screen, the apartment had been empty of fingerprints. That had been a chore, after finding the blood she had insisted that the whole apartment be dusted. The FBI had taken the sample of the suspects' blood and moved it to their lab. The Jeffersonian had no say in the matter, and the whole team wasn't feeling kindly to the FBI inspectors who lurked around on the platform, peering over everyone's shoulders and generally getting in the way.

Brennan closed her eyes, she could see the sense in the transportation of the blood but it was her only tie to Booth, the only lead in a dead-end case, and it physically hurt her to see that connection be sent away to a different, unfamiliar lab, to be tested by people who had probably never even seen the man they were looking for.

After what seemed like seconds a hand was rubbing her shoulder. And Brennan's eyes snapped open. Angela was kneeling by the edge of the desk, pity clear in her eyes.

"Progress?" Asked Brennan, using the heel of her hand to rub her still-aching eyes.

Angela sighed and moved away, "No."

Hope died in Brennan's eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About an hour."

"A hour?" Brennan stood up quickly, nearly falling back into her chair as her legs protested the movement. "Why did no one wake me?"

"We're taking shifts, and you haven't slept in almost twenty four hours. Jack's taken the couches and the interns are on every available surface, some are on the autopsy tables."

"I need to be here Ange, I can-" The words were stopped by a yawn.

"Sweetie, your under a lot of stress, go home, get some rest. You're not going to be much help to Booth if you pass out over the equipment."

"I can-"

"You can go sleep in the hotel on the next block if it makes you feel better." Said Angela, cutting across Brennan. "And I'll call you if anything comes up."

Brennan's eyes were already sliding. She was too tired to argue.

Angela slapped her back lightly. "You need help to your car? Maybe I should drive you."

"No." Her head snapped up, alert, "We need you here in case anything happens. You are the only one who can beat up the FBI if they with hold information. Tell Jack to cross reference the sample on the FBI database, You can break him into there, and tell one of the interns to take high contrast shots on the -" She was still rambling on with tasks as Angela pushed her out of her office into the main area, and the permanent smell of disinfectant seemed to sharpen her senses.

Turning to face Angela, she was about to protest again, but stopped at the other woman's expression. Wincing, she took the coat that Angela held out and pulled it over herself with numb arms.

Maybe she would sleep in the car,or grab some coffee.

Lights were still on everywhere in the lab, Dr. Sweets was leaning on the railing above the platform, seeming to be the real. King of the lab, observing everything that went on around him, all the scurrying interns that flicked on the expensive equipment and flipped through slide after slide of photograph of Booth's apartment, searching for something, anything.

Maybe it was the fact that he seemed alert and not at all helpful, but she felt an irrational wave of anger at him, observing the people like they were ants in an anthill and he was writing notes about what made people _tick._

"Sweets!" He turned his head towards her, and she could see now that his eyes were red and that he looked exhausted, his hair mussed and an imprint on his cheek that indicated he had fallen asleep on his notebook.

_Seeley, you come back soon, I'm too tired too keep this up._

"Yes, Dr. Brennan?"

"Get some rest."

He nodded and laughed, running a hand over his scalp as he stared over the platform. "I would but my couches are being used already."

She shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her face, she had never realized how loved Booth really was. _Would they do this for me?_

Turning away from him, her eyes burning with tears and sleeplessness, Brennan headed for the door, pins and needles running up her legs and feet as she walked. The air outside the lab was cool, the hallways empty, she walked past office after office, now and then through the blurred glass she could see shadowy figures at their desks. There was a line at the front desk, people dozing as they pushed money into the nearly empty vending machines.

The elevator music had been shut off by some god blessed intern and the refreshing silence cleared her head a little. Booth crowded her thoughts, the images of him captured and held fed the headache that seemed to be gnawing at the corners of her eyes.  
The elevator stopped with a soft whine and the swish of opening doors. The air was biting, the cold night air washed over her face, making her nose and ears burn with the cold air. Perhaps it was the sudden rush of air or just the day catching up with her but the warmth of one lonely tear wound it's way down her cheek and dripped off her chin to be caught by the rough fabric of her coat.

She straightened and scolded herself for getting too emotional. She felt as if she were abandoning Booth as she walked away from the elevator towards her car.

The florescent lights flickered but she paid it no mind as the wheels of her sleek car came into view.

Someone's shoes clicked onto the cement behind her and Bones turned, not expecting the thin white needle to swing out of the darkness and hit her in the neck, the sick feeling of cool liquid being forced into her bloodstream, and the thin, shadowy hands that caught her as she dropped, stopping her head an inch from hitting the ground

_Take me to Booth. Please._

There was a swish and she felt herself being lifted back up, and a woman's nails dug into the back of her neck as the surgical needle was removed. Lead was swarming down her arms and into her lungs climbing at last to bury itself deeply in her head.

_I'm so... tired._

And blackness reached out and swallowed her, pulling her into it's darkness with the long scarlet nails that flashed briefly into her vision.

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_**You can thank my broken legs and my wheelchair for this chapter. There's not much to do when you're housebound, so I play with poor B&B. Also a shout out to Bookworm lady, for reminding me to update. The next chapter will definitely be out on Sunday or sooner.  
**_

_**Please review?  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! MY LEGS!!!!!!!!! DEAR GOD!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_

_**And now back to booth and brennan.**_

_**This chapter might not be particularly great. I'm in too much pain to write well. Sorry.  
**_

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"Seeley....Seeeeleeeey... wake up Seeley!" A short slap stung on Booths cheek as he struggled to open his eyes. "That's right. Guess what ol' buddy? We gots a playdate for you. May I present...."

Booth could only see out of one eye, the other could barely see a slit of the man in front of him. The lights had gone, and the room had changed, now it was someone's living room. Windows all around let in the green light that filtered through the trees outside. Long panes of glass showed the way to a deep pool of turquoise that threw up a flickering light against the walls and trees.

Children's toys littered the pool. Noodles, tubed and flippers lay around in heaps. An arm reached into his vision, gripping the arm of his chair before a nightmare face was lowered to his level.

It was just a mask and some face paint, Booth knew that, tried to get his tired eyes to understand that the man didn't really have skin that white, and that the black, curving lips were painted on. But the mask, the mask was truly horrible, it didn't fit at all with the make up.

The colors were red and yellow, black and orange. The eyes, they had to be contacts, they were dark blue almost purplish-red. The chines mask was that of a snarling dragon from the nose to his hairline. It was ridiculous, a Halloween makeover. But to a confused and agonized Booth it was terrifying.

"Come on concentrate Seeley, I was telling you we had a special guest, let me introduce... Dr. Temperance Brennan!"

His chair was swung around, making his whole body twist against the pull. He couldn't help the groan that escaped his clenched teeth. And he looked up.

_Bones._

At once he was struggling against the ropes, his mouth set against the scream that was building in his chest of pain at the ropes binding him, at the slackness of his partner's neck, at the slight bruise on her chin, at the hopelessness of their situation. "If...you..." The words tore at his throat, the tissue was bruised from the occasional scream and the force of holding down what noises he could. "If...if.. you..."

The mask was watching him intently, it's chin propped on one hand as the man waited for Booth to finish, but Booth couldn't, felt his head drop against his chest in a haze of panic and slid what few desperate words he could into the air. "Let her go."

The man jumped to his feet as if propelled by a wound spring. "Nope, too late for that. I think she's waking up."

Brennan was stirring and Booth felt his heart lurch, she shouldn't be here...

"Booth...?"

And now he had to use his voice, had to make sure that she was alright, had to.. had to... make everything alright for her, had to fix the world for her. The words that came from his mouth were soft, hoarse, they cracked and whispered, but at least they were there. "Bones? Hey, you okay?"

That was a stupid question, he cursed himself as he looked as his partners, of course she wasn't okay. She was here, and here was a bad place to be.

"Booth?" Her voice was small, almost as tired as he was.

"I'm here."

And now she opened her eyes. "I found you."

***

* * *

Angela Montenegro walked down the bright hallway, her long heels clicking on the tiles as she pressed the call button again, Brennan's voice filtered into the empty space, calmly explaining how to leave a message.

"Bren, where are you? Call me back when you get this." She sighed and snapped the phone shut. The hallway seemed to go on forever, but Angela stopped next to the lab and looked inside. Jack was still at his computer, head held up by the palm of one hand and his mouth slightly open as he scrolled down a complicated graph, unreadable from this distance.

Shaking her head she slipped her ID badge up to the scanner and entered the lab, carefully stepping over a lump that rose and fell underneath a body bag.

"Jack,She talked softly, trying not to startle him. He jerked anyway, papers falling to the floor. She helped him pick them up and sat on the chair next to his, watching him fumble with the desk. "Brennan's not answering her phone."

"She's probably sleeping. She looked like she needed it last night."

"No, her car is in the parking lot."

"Well, she's not in her office."

"There's something not right about this." Angela, tapped the desk impatiently.

"Have you tried calling-" Jack abruptly shut up and looked back at his computer. Angela stared at him. "What?" She asked, and looked around.

Dr. Collins stood right behind her. She yelped and slid off the desk, trying to gain some distance from him. "I understand you are trying to contact Dr. Brennan. Has there been any updates?"

"Well, kind of," Hodgins pointed at the chart. "The report for ballistics came back. There was one gunshot, from Booth's gun."

"And?"

"He didn't hit anyone."

"And?" Dr. Collins was getting impatient. Hodgins looked to Angela for support.

"Booth wouldn't miss. There was something back at the apartment we didn't see."

"Even the best Agents miss sometimes."

"But-"

"It's an empty lead." He walked of to poke some sleeping interns and told them to go home or go back to work.. Angela turned back to Hodgins.

"It's not an empty lead, we'll go back to the crime scene and then..."

Angela thought of the missed phone calls and the car in the parking lot. "How do you feel about breaking down some more doors?"

Jack groaned, "I'll fetch my coat."

* * *

Bones was screaming. He could hear it from the other side of the house.

_Just tell them Bones just, just please tell them. _

"Now, Agent Booth. All we need is six little numbers. Six little digits. Come on..." The shadow man was leaning against a piano on the other side of the room. "Does it spell something? That's Angela's style you know, I've been watching her."

He sighed as Brennan's shrieks grew louder and then broke into sobs. Suddenly the man was right in front of Booth, the feathers on the top of the mask blew lazily like a soft halo as the light from the windows hit the tiny strands.

A tiny needle appeared as if by magic. And the soft, unpleasant voice seemed to be coming from over his shoulder. "This, Seeley, is Potassium Chloride. Not enough to kill you, well, not enough to kill you _instantly_."

Brennan's screams rose again, and Booth struggled in his bonds, nearly overbalancing his chair. "Bones!"

"Calm down, I'm trying to tell you something important."

He sounded annoyed, _annoyed?_ This guy was crazy, so god damn crazy. Booth pounded his head against the back of his chair. He closed his eyes and tried to think. But Bones' screams made it impossible to concentrate.

* * *

_**MY LEGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!**_

_**GODDAMMIT THIS HURTS.**_

_**I HATE MY LEGS.**_

_**Reviews would make me feel infinitely better.**_


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